Atlantic Cigar Company Blog

Schrader Hispaniola cigars are a project by Fred Schrader, a successful proprietor of the wine industry. Manufactured by Para Ti, a small factory in the Dominican Republic, the cigars will be released as limited production Vintages as they become available. The first release, what I will be reviewing today, is the hand rolled Sparky Doco-Est MMIX, a 7 1/2 x 41/50/56 torpedo shape, packaged in a coffin, available in boxes of 10. The cigar is created from 100% aged vintage Dominican Tobacco. 3 Fillers, a 2001 Corojo (Ligero), a 2005 Havana Vuelta Arriba (Ligero), and a 2008 Criollo ’98 (Viso) with a binder of 2008 Dominican Crilollo ’98 (Seco), and a gorgeous wrapper of 2001 Honduran Colorado Habana (Viso). This is no daily smoke, with an MSRP being $26.95, this one is designed for special occasions or collecting.

Appearance / Construction:

Just by looking at the cigar you can tell that this is something special. From the wood- coffin to the wonderful unique Salomon-type shape, the Schrader Sparky's presentation screams special edition . The cigar has an expertly applied, wonderful aged, wrapper that has an oily soft feel to the touch. The Sparky is firm, but not overly packed. Most interesting is the business end, which has a small blossom of tobacco sticking out from the bottom like a fuse ready to light this rare specimen. After clipping the perfectly applied cap the cold draw, a bit loose, has some nice earthy, grassy flavors with a bit of sweetness on the finish. *Side note, my sinuses are a bit crippled this morning so I'm probably not going to be able to pick out all the eccentricities of this cigar, and I feel like it has a lot.

First Third:

The lighting preparation was very similar to firing up a Salomon, making sure to get an even burn on the small nipple extrudes from the foot. The Sparky starts out with a looser draw, with a good amount of smoke output containing an earthy leathery, woody flavor with some sweetness and spice right off the bat. The burn and draw are pretty much spot on as the cigar progresses with a few touch-ups needed here and there. Fred Schrader has definitely created something very complex here. I'm really enjoying the spicy and creamy flavors, along with the billows of chewy smoke the cigar produces. The shape is a really unique one, and I'm finding it really fun to smoke. At this point the foot is around 56 at least and the other end is an extreme difference at around 41 or so ring gauge. The cigar is probably medium at this point but I definitely see it working it's way into medium-full if not completely full.

Second Third:

As the second third opens up I am greeted with a blast of pepper spice… The Schrader Hispaniola Sparky has some kick after all! While many may have some sticker shock with the Schrader Hispanolia line, you can tell as you smoke the Sparky, that quality, aged tobaccos and some very good quality control was employed during the creation of this cigar. It's said that Fred Schrader oversee's the process to ensure a proper end product. A cigar absolutely for special occasions, but even more exciting for me, the Sparky is a cigar for special occasions for full body cigar smokers! The cigar continues to pump out volumes of spicy, chewy smoke with an earthy, woody base and aroma. The sweetness that was prevalent in the first third has taken a back seat.

Last Third:

More spicy, earthy goodness. Elements of cedary wood and pepper. If you do not like a spicy full body, complex smoke this is not for you. While I'm not getting a huge nicotine buzz, the cigar has definitely reached full in all areas. Did I say this cigar was spicy?? I mean wow, I'm enjoying it, but this particular specimen is comparable to Thai food with some Sriracha hot chili sauce liberally applied. I've been smoking this baby for well over two hours now, so as with all large perfecto's set aside a nice chunk of time to enjoy this cigar. With the general taper of the cigar the final inch or so has gathered a lot of power. I put the Sparky down with less than an inch due to some heat and a bit too much spicy mouthfeel.

Overall:

Wow, what an interesting ride. From start to finish, the cigar takes you through a complex journey, providing a lot of interesting flavors, a great draw and burn and overall a unique spicy experience. The big question.. Is it worth $26.95? Well.. unfortunately that's for you to decide. In my humble opinion, when spending that much cash, I generally tend to point myself in the direction of the nearest Padron, possibly a Davidoff creation.. However, adding a few of these unique creations to my collection is definitely going to happen, it's a great cigar that I think any full-body cigar aficionado should add to his stash. I'm sure I'll be reaching for another one soon. To check our stock visit the brand page on our website for Schrader Hispaniola Sparky Doco-Est MMIX.

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